Just about everyone has heard the account of Christ’s birth, even those who don’t believe or acknowledge Him as Savior. It is a piece of history that has been well-preserved for over 2,000 years thanks to the details being dutifully recorded in Scripture and other texts. As we approach Christmas this week, I’d like to take a deeper look at one aspect of the account, specifically the shepherds who were given the announcement of Christ’s birth by an angel. I pray you will find this both interesting and edifying.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12 ESV
Most of us have heard that these night shepherds were the lowliest and most humble people of all, which is why the angel announce Christ’s birth to them first. While this seems logical from a Biblical worldview, is it true? Or perhaps was there more to it?
For some context, we need to step outside sacred Scripture to the oral traditions of the Jews, specifically the Mishnah. It is here we see that it was forbidden by Jewish law to raise cattle (including sheep and goats) inside the cities of Israel (ref: Bava Kama 80a). Yet, in Luke 2:4-7 we read:
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:11 indicates that Mary and Joseph remained there(in the city of Bethlehem) for the birth of baby Jesus. In fact, this must be the case because it fulfilled a specific prophecy of the coming Messiah (see Micah 5:2-4). Was Jesus born in an illegal barn in the city? And were there shepherds keeping an illegal flock in the City of David, violating the law of the land? Not likely.
Again, using external resources like the Mishnah, we learn that there was a specific exception made for raising cattle in the city: the animals that were used for the sacrificial offerings in the temple (ref: Shekelim 7:4). In fact, there was even a specific place in Bethlehem called Migdal-edar, or ‘tower of the flock’, where these sacrificial sheep were meticulously raised and cared for. Interestingly, another Messianic prophecy in Micah 4:8 refers to this place by name: And you, O tower of the flock [Migdal-edar], hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.
With this in mind, we now ask: who were these shepherds? If indeed they were raising sheep for sacrifices, then we know they were Levitical shepherds because the Levities were the only Jewish tribe specifically set apart by God to be priests over Israel, care for the temple, and perform sacrifices (see: Num 18). These shepherds were likely themselves priests and perhaps even waiting and looking for the coming of Messiah. We can also deduce that, because these sheep had to be kept in perfect condition and free from blemishes (see: Num 28:9), the shepherds “guarding over their flock by night” could have been the most elite of the Levitical shepherds – those who would not dare fall asleep and allow the flock to be injured or attacked.
This also seems to make sense when we read: “And when they [the shepherds] saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them,” (Luke 2:17). These shepherds appear to have had some clout as their incredible testimony was both believed and accepted by those they told. While speculation, this would have been less likely if these shepherds were the lowest of the low in society.
All of this put together seems quite appropriate when you take the whole of Scripture and Christ’s coming into account. When John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29), he knew exactly what he was saying – indeed prophesying – as Christ’s very purpose in coming to earth was to be the final once-for-all sacrifice for sins (see: Rom 6:10, 1 Peter 3:18). What better place for Christ to be born than where all the sacrificial sheep were kept, and under the watch of the priestly shepherds who cared for this precious and reserved flock.
There is more to this than we have time for here, and I encourage you to study this on your own if you want to learn more. I personally found this to be quite fascinating, and it reaffirmed to me that everything God does is done with foreknowledge and purpose. So whether these shepherds were lowly outcasts or Levitical priests, we can be sure there are no accidents in God’s plan, and certainly none surrounding the birth of our Savior.